Would taking 10/17 AP classes in my high school help me stand out?Answered
I'm a sophomore and I'm planning on taking 10 AP classes over the course of Junior and Senior year. My high school offers 17 AP classes. Would this help me stand out?
Just for further context, these are the AP classes I plan on taking,
Junior Year: AP Calc AB, AP Chem, AP Lang, AP Spanish Lang, AP Psychology
Senior Year: AP Calc BC, AP Lit, AP Spanish Lit, AP Government, AP Bio
EDIT 02/23/2026: I have just looked at the course list for rising juniors/seniors. Some classes have been changed
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3 answers
Hi @mccartneysgirl,
Taking 10 AP classes absolutely stands out, especially when your school only offers 17. I'm a senior and I took only 4 and my school offered way more than 17! That shows you’re challenging yourself in a really serious way and taking advantage of what’s available to you. Colleges definitely notice when students pursue a rigorous course load like that.
That being said, APs are just one part of the bigger picture. Admissions isn’t only about how many APs you take, as you may know already, it’s also about how well you do in them, your GPA, extracurricular involvement, leadership, essays, recommendations, and overall impact. A super rigorous schedule can help, but balance and strong performance matter just as much.
Your plan looks intense but impressive, especially stacking Calc, Chem, Lang, and Gov junior year Just remember that standing out academically is powerful, but colleges are ultimately looking at the whole story you present.
But you are on the right track :)
first of all, amazing! just make sure they are aligned with what you want to study and not unneccassry GPA-downers. you got this!
Just as long as they align with your major/passion! My friend only took AP Lit (our school doesn't have the class) and got into Stanford, so it's not the most important part of the application.
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This sounds impressive to me. It also sounds daunting. Best of luck. I hope you ace all of these courses.